USDA, Interior Announce Proposed Federal Grazing Updates
November 10, 2026
USDA and the Department of the Interior are announcing proposed updates to federal grazing rules aimed at reducing paperwork and giving livestock producers more certainty.
Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum announced the USDA proposal, which would update grazing permit issuance, eligibility and qualifications. It would also revise fee provisions to provide more consistent fee setting across national forests and grasslands in 16 contiguous Western states.
The announcement includes USDA’s first proposed grazing rule changes since 1977.
“To that end, our proposed rule modernizes grazing administration,” Rollins said. “It provides expanded opportunities for stewardship and access on national forests and grasslands for current and future livestock grazing permittees.”
The USDA proposal would extend livestock-use permits from 1 year to 5 years, reducing how often producers must submit paperwork. It would also establish a framework for responding to drought and wildfire through cooperation with neighboring federal land managers, tribes, states, local communities and conservation partners.
Burgum said Interior has extended grazing permits up to 10 years. He said longer permit terms give ranchers greater certainty when investing in fencing and water developments.
“America’s ranchers know how to manage the land. It's our job to make it easier for them to do it,” Burgum said in the announcement.
The Forest Service allows livestock grazing on nearly 40% of the 193 million acres it manages. According to USDA, grazing on Forest Service lands supports about 14,200 jobs and contributes $645 million annually to the nation’s gross domestic product.
The agencies also pointed to grazing as a tool for managing vegetation and wildfire fuel.
“When we're not grazing our land, that affects invasive weeds. It affects the fuel load that builds up on these grounds,” Burgum said during the announcement.
Many of the proposed revisions are editorial, procedural or intended to clarify existing requirements. Others would align Forest Service rules with Bureau of Land Management regulations for ranchers who use land managed by both agencies.
The proposal follows the administration’s October 2025 beef industry plan, a USDA-Interior agreement on advancing grazing, and subsequent USDA grazing policy.
The proposed rule is scheduled for publication in the Federal Register on Nov. 12, 2026, opening a 30-day public comment period.
